Did you know that there is a strong correlation between diabetes and heart diseases? Well, patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of heart-related ailments. However, with a few precautionary measures and lifestyle changes, one can easily overcome such health concerns.
The link between diabetes and heart diseases
- HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
- COMPROMISED HEART FUNCTION
- HIGH LEVELS OF BAD FATS
All of the above can lead to serious heart diseases.
It is imperative to understand that each of these medical problems damage blood vessels and create plaques in blood vessels which lead to blockages and reduce the flexibility and elasticity of the blood vessels, thus making their walls rigid and hard. When there is a sudden obstruction in the normal flow of blood through major vessels, heart functions take a beating and result in cardiovascular diseases. Obstructions can also cause strokes as a result of blockages in the blood flow to the brain.
Are you taking the right precautionary measures?
Often one of the major causes of death in patients with diabetes is heart-related ailments. Precisely why you need to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels in check at all times. What are the measures one can take to ensure that they don’t fall prey to heart diseases when suffering from diabetes? Your answer lies in taking charge of the ABCs of Diabetes:
A stands for A1c
A1c is the short form for a test for diabetes called hemoglobin A1c and measures your average blood sugar levels over the last three months.
B stands for blood pressure
This is a reminder for patients to keep their blood pressure in control.
C stands for cholesterol
This is a reminder for patients to keep their cholesterol in check. In the absence of such checks, bad cholesterol can build up causing your arteries to clog.
How can you reach your ABC targets?
Make sure you talk to your doctor on the medicines you need to take to reach your targets. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, changing your diet and exercising will also inch you closer to your ABC targets.
Get yourself tested today
GCC is the diabetes capital of the world and we are currently amidst a diabetes epidemic. Practically, every family, every household has a few diabetics. Hence, it’s imperative that you take a stock of your health and get your diabetes tests done today. Diabetes tests include:
- HbA1c as described above
- Fasting blood sugar
- Post meal blood sugar
- Random blood sugar
- Liquid profile (gives an idea of the cholesterol levels)
Additionally, an ECG may also be helpful to understand your heart function.
